Monday, December 22, 2014

Weigh Stations: New feature in American Truck Simulator


We are always delighted when we can share the features that we work on with our community, and today we would like to give you a quick look at one of the core game functionalities in American Truck Simulator: Weigh Stations.



Drivers cruising across American highways might occasionally be  required to visit a weight alongside of the road to verify if their load complies with regulations. These weight terminals are concentrated along the highways and can be easily accessed by drivers at any time. Please note that Weigh Stations will be exclusive to American Truck Simulator and will not appear in Euro Truck Simulator 2.



Due to overwhelming community response and upcoming Holiday Season our team has decided to extend SCS Polar Express Holiday event past Christmas Eve and into the New Year - everyone who finishes their assigned delivery will receive the exclusive Raven Truck Design DLC!

Happy Holidays, 
Team at SCS Software

123 comments:

  1. Just like in 18 WoS. Anyway can we have 8x4 and 10x4 chassis?

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    1. Yes you can but your max load + truck + trailer will still be 80,000lbs or 35,500kg aprox - also the normal engine in USA is only 380HP the biggest off the shelf engine is 600 American HP which works out to 550 European HP - wonder if SCS will allow driver to move the trailer wheels thus comply to USA rules. Also remember CA has a fix weight and wheel settings for the state and it the only state that make trucks drive at 55mph max speed.

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    2. IL also has a max speed of 55mph for trucks on the interstate. It would be nice very cool if SCS incorporate sliding 5th wheels and sliding rear tandems to adjust the weight on the drives and rear tandems like we have here in America.

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    3. Illionois is 55mph for the counties around Chicago, the rest of the state is now 70mph for trucks

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    4. OR also has a 55 mph speed limit for trucks

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    5. Yes yes but remember they said american highways hope too see in the next update a release date

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  2. Hello all scs software team here I wonder if it would be possible that truck smokes in ats or so will it be possible to make you like ETS2 he smokes his permance be much more real thank you for your answer

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    Replies
    1. In real life European trucks do not blow smoke out the exhaust with a long time.

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  3. Weighting stations does exists in European Highways, especially past tolls... Weird...

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    1. There's no weigh stations here in Ireland

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    2. only in company yards and at ports, ports having an obvious reason for them

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  4. always glad to see some news here! thanks again for your efforts in making a great game!

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  5. Awesome. If only they would add it into ETS2.

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  7. are we gonna see doubles or road trains?

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    1. I hope not. Doubles are common in AMERICA but not ROAD TRAINS. If you want a road train get the modding software you need and build yourself one. The rest of you might as well quit complaing about adding weigh stations to ETS 2 in the ATS blog. Put that crap in the ETS 2 blog where it belongs.

      By the way SCS thanks for finally getting us a new american based sim and great job so far. I thing what you guys should work on is the trailer models. Look at Wabash / Strick / Great Dane / Manac web sites and get some ideas.

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  8. scs make the game more realistic connect the Air lines and pigtail connections from the back of the tractor when you attach to the trailer is A more realistic look

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  9. This is great news to see how ATS is shaping up rite now Can't wait to see more stuff thanks you scs software .

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  10. Dear SCS. I don't know how it's in Czech Republic, but in Poland Weight Stations are very popular. Our service road has got mobile scales - like for humans but little bit bigger and of course more durable, so they can weigh truck everywhere. Why can't it be done in ETS2?

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    1. Here in Czech Republic the Weight Stations aren't that popular like in Poland, but I think that's not that reason why Weight Stations aren't in ETS 2. Sorry

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    2. I guess you are right. This will be something new, becasue the games must be in some point different. I'm afraid that till ETS2 will be selling well, ATS won't be launch. So we can wait for it very long time:/

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  11. Great news ! Thank you SCS for sharing this with us, I really appreciate !
    Keep up the good work, it looks amazing, as always.
    Don't hesitate to share such details about ATS. :)

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  13. Any idea at all of a release date for this in 2015??? One thing I always disliked was how short journey's within say UK to UK was in ETS/ETS2, are the trips going to be long one's within the USA? Thanks

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    1. The game is comming out February 10 or the 13

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    2. How do you know the release date? SCS themselves haven't announced a release date so I won't expect it to be released on February 10 or 13th.

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    3. SCS has not released a date, therefore anywhere you read that is BS. Until you read it direct from SCS, any site that states a date is untrue.

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  14. Nice pics SCS, Looking forward to this.

    Please help me resolve this issue though. I was happily 2/3s of the ways through my last polar express delivery last night before I had to go to work.
    I get up today and go to load up ETS2 (Both steam and non steam versions) and the game will load up from the profile screen but when I select my save it crashes back to desktop. Wondering if you had updated it at all to extend to polar express?

    Please help I don't want to start another profile to be able to finish this. ;-(

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    1. UPDATE, I've looked at the quick job screen and there are now no xmas gift jobs available whereas last night there were several. could this be something to do with the issue?

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  15. Another find update and the weigh station will certainly be a hit. I don't suppose moving / slipping trailer axles will make an appearance for different loads at the weigh station will they? Probably not.

    We can all get too excited and want more and more but at least there future development path list will not be empty. I just hope that any current work is future proofed as much as possible to afford the opportunity going forward to add functionality. Seasons Greetings.

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  16. Replies
    1. yes this feature to ETS2 plz scs

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    2. "Please note that Weigh Stations will be exclusive to American Truck Simulator and will not appear in Euro Truck Simulator 2."

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  17. nice that you didnt forget on that !!

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  18. Awesome feature... we do have weight stations in Mexico as well. But here we also have the most difficult rigs to drive. Truck+trailer+dolly+trailer

    Plase include double trialer + dolly !!!!!!

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  20. Parabéns SCS, o jogo está muito bonito, não vejo a hora joga-lo. O pessoal tem que lembrar que ats tem que ter recursos novos e diferentes do ets2 e assim ter um jogo único.

    Um feliz natal e ano novo!

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  21. omg thank scs i was this morning than i forgot xmas deliverys sorry my english but great idea those stations i dont live in america but i know than ice road truckers has something like that

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  22. SCS for the game of American Truck Simulator are best map has several models of trucks. So American Truck Simulator the game better than Euro Truck Simulator 2. SCS vair have several rodotrem trailers American Truck Simulator game

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  24. muito bom coloquem gameplay do ats e coloquem os trucks do ets2 para fazerem entregas igual ao multiplay

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  25. I just hope as well that the truckstops are closer together than the original where it was impossible to get from one to another in your driving hours

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    1. I agree, for daycabs to make sense there must be enough hotels and truckstops. It was impossible to use them in older 18 WoS games.

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  26. @SCS, have you tried contacting CAT Scale, they have about 90% of the certified scales in the U.S.A.? Currently, the only issue I see is the number of scales next to each other, it is rare to have two side by side, there might be four at an exit, but it is one per truck stop, even at their HQ(Iowa 80) they only have one.

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  27. Why you @SCS don't put SSAO or HDAO in the game? We need some ambient occlusion.

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  29. Being a truck driver in real life, I would just like to add a few things.

    In the latest SCS Software blog they have presented Weigh Scales (usually located near gas/diesel stations) - which are very nice. However, Developers should try to implement Weigh Stations. These are located along the highways and have flashing signs when they are open. It differs from state to state - some open every few hours and some are open constantly from morning till night.
    More information can be found here:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weigh_station

    Also, it seems to me that the trailers presented in game are not as long as they are in real life (53 foot trailers). Example below:
    http://www.stricktrailers.com/dryvantra ... ailer.aspx

    How about getting official licensing for trailers? There are quite a few trailer manufacturers in North America. Maybe they would be willing to co-operate with SCS Software so we could get official trailers in game.
    Here are some of the manufacturers:

    http://www.greatdanetrailers.com/

    http://www.manac.ca/home/

    http://www.stricktrailers.com/

    http://www.vanguardtrailer.com/

    Kind regards.

    Canadian truck driver,
    Zulnex

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    1. @Zulnex: I agree about the trailer size. But what most worries me it's not the trailer. The scale size itself looks suited for a "small" truck+semi combination, and not a regular 53 feet.

      I'm no trucker but from what I see from a short research, scales are divided in 4 blocks, where axles rest so truck can be weight by axle and also total mass (Note: I'm not asking for both features!, but just trying to make the scale look as realistic as possible).

      I checked this picture, with a scale very similar to the one shown by SCS:
      http://www.averyweigh-tronix.com/Global/Products/Truck%20Scales/IMXT/Steelbridge-XT-1.jpg

      I noticed several things:
      - Front axle still has a lot of room to go forward, to allow back truck axles to enter the module if frame doesn't fit.
      - Each module has different size (in the screenshot it's just asphalt with painted squares).
      - Semitraler axles still have room too in case truck has to go a little forward.

      Basically, the weight scale should be designed according to how wheels fit on the different modules.

      Or maybe something easier is to just have one big metal platform where we stop the truck.

      I would also like to say the same some others posted, and it's that here on Europe we have scales too here and there. Not sure if the decission to not add them on ETS2 is because of technical limitations, but if it's for realism, it's something that would fit on the game (with another design, of course).

      In any case great new feature! (I hope this means we can "risk" to add a little more weight to the truck in exchange of a little money, and also have BIG fines if caught overweight).

      Regards.

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  30. please please please SCS make the trailers longer!, 53ft trailers are pretty standard in the states

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    1. Indeed! Trailers presented in images seem to be 48 foot trailers.

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    2. I 3rd that motion! 53's please!

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    3. Keep both length trailers and offer larger rewards for tougher/longer loads. Give option at pickup to extend the goods. That way others who don't want longer trailers still have many loads.

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    4. 57ft trailers are popular in california, they can't carry higher weight, but they are popular, and a lot of them are 14ft tall, which is strange to see parked next to you

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    5. Measuring the one in the overhead shot, and assuming it's 8 feet wide, it's actually only a 40-foot trailer (which I don't think I've ever seen, at least not in Illinois).

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    6. I 4th that.

      At first I thought maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. Sort of concerned here, because whats the point of driving a w900l without a correctly scaled trailer? I can understand the daycabs hauling 40s and 45s because that occurs in real life, but when is the last time you saw an OTR truck pulling a van shorter than 53'??

      I don't understand how you can invest so much time and effort into the game and not even get the scale length correct. 53' trailers are one of the biggest things differentiating euro and american trucking.

      No hard feelings...the game just looks too damn amazing so far to not have correctly scaled trailers.

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  31. Guys, you're the best company ever! Keep up the great work. I've got a little wish that I really wanna see it in ATS: please put the realistic parking brake and trailer brake sounds cause the American trucks have got that special tone to them in every single way. Best wishes :)

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  32. Nice work! Is there an approximate date of release for the game?

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    1. Their answer is always... "when it's ready". That's their policy for all their releases. When they know, everyone will know.
      If anyone outside SCS states anything different... it's BS.

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  33. Outstanding job SCS. You guys should consider some custom truck's for DLC in ATS. I would love to support yall and have good quality custom trucks without them having to be mods.

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  34. Only issue i see would be with wide loads. You have limited space to get on the scale.

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    1. they use portable hand held scales for each set of tires, roll on, to get weight.
      Here, probably Ghost the Overwide past pole?

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    2. In reality, oversized loads are not weighed as they have permits to drive heavy.

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  35. Good job SCS. And thanks for that extension.

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  36. yawns....please release early access....

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  37. PLEASE add A LOT of customization options for all the trucks. Like single or double exhaust, the mirror above the passenger window, axle configurations (EX: 3 axles (not including the steering axle) 3 axles one drop 2 normal, single axle, etc.), headache rack or cab guard (This is a MUST, as most rigs have this) and lot's more.

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    1. Second that. Must retain the longer more dedicated players with new content.

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    2. In the US, lift axles don't exist. Anything more than 6x4 is very very rare.

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    3. Are you kidding? There everywhere. I work at a job where big rigs are EVERYWHERE. I see trucks with drop axles all the time. Especially the steel hauling trucks and grain trailer haulers.

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    4. Yeah I dont know where you get that lift axles dont exist in the U.S. there John. There are tons upon tons of trucks here in the U.S. that have lift axles. Especially heavy haulers and grain trucks , end dumps , etc etc . . . .

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  38. Dear SCS,

    Few more multi player setups please. LAN based options for those who want to multi player but with friends or others in the same house often.
    Also online open world servers would work fine designed like the game "The Crew".
    Finally the most important thing to incorporate... Team Driving. Thats right single modes or not, make that truck never stop, and rotate the operators seat with press of a button.

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    1. SCS doesn't make multiplayer. It's a mod.

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    2. That sure would be exciting. Just sitting around for your turn. Riviting stuff!!

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  39. Will this game be better optimized than ETS2? ETS2 has the worst optimization I've ever seen.

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    1. Theres nothing wrong with the game. I have the game set to its maximum settings @ 2560 x 1440 and it runs as smooth as silk for me.

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    2. I can max out every other game I play except this one. I can check the CPU usage during play and it's always at around 20%.

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    3. As I said I can max out the game (With ultra settings on everything that can be set to ULTRA) @ 2560 x 1440 so its not the game.

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    4. Lucky you Steve. You don't specify what system you run, so your comment is kinda pointless. I have a medium spec system, 1.8GB Nvidia 260GTX on a 2-core Athlon motherboard with 4gb ram (sadly, my better motherboard got killed by a faulty SSD). ETS2 gets much worse frame rates than other games (e.g. world of tanks) and that's with the graphics settings carefully set to minimise load while still looking OK.

      ETS2 has always put a lot of pressure on the hardware to get at best a reasonable frame rate. If I had a spare 600 quid I could go out and buy a much better motherboard, more ram and a more modern and faster graphics card. Even then, it wouldn't be top end. Plain fact is I can't afford that. Building a game which will only run well on an expensive system is not a good business plan.

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    5. ets2 only has 720P graphics anyway...

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    6. I max out at ~30 fps no matter what settings I run - Ultra or lowest graphics and the game lags. It's a really old game engine, poor optimization.

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    7. 2560x1440p here, and no problem at max, while driving with no Vsync, 100+ fps.

      4790k @4.7GHz/780 Ti Classified/16GB Ram (2133MHz)

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    8. I get 60FPS+ all the time My CPU , RAM and Motherboard are five years old and not high end at all.

      Intel Core I5 760 @ 3.6GHz
      Asus Maximus III Gene
      8GB Corsair XMS3 DDR3 1600MHz ram
      240GB OCZ VERTYEX2 SATA 2 SSD
      Palit GTX680

      There is no excuse for not buying more ram. Its one of the cheapest things you can buy for your computer now

      Delete
  40. Is American truck simulator a 18 wheels of steel, with ETS2 engine? I still miss those 18 wheels of steel games, played them like nothing else :-D

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    1. No its more like ETS2 but set in America with the American trucks

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  41. Whats the point of adding weigh stations when all deliveries will be the correct weight.

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    Replies
    1. Because they might do like the original where you could take overweight loads and risk getting caught and fined

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    2. Would be cool if you could slide the tandems, and I don't believe it would be too hard to implement.

      Also, as someone else said, not sure why there are no electrical and air lines connected to the trailer.

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  42. Please add onwheel hands with animation.

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  43. A couple things I noticed were the different hood(bonnet) lengths in the last picture and it looks like the two in that same picture have different spacing between the back of the cab and the trailer, the step gives it away

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  44. Merry Christmas to all from SCS. Keep up the good Work.

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  45. please add 53ft trailers, pipe smoke and those hoses between truck and trailer ;)

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  46. Does this mean tandem sliding will be implemented?

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  47. double trailers and winter for the northern states, chains when necessary and road trains

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  48. Replies
    1. California is not the only state your going to be driving in so yes add winter weather instead of having to install a mod for it. and add plow trucks to clean the roads when needed.

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  49. Well that's nice. I did the polar express event but I don't get the reward because I don't use Steam.

    Time for you to decide, SCS, if you're working through Steam or not. If you continue to make the game and its updates available without using Steam, you might at least provide a download link to the rewards for non-Steam players. I didn't see anything in the announcement of the event that said the reward is only for Steam users, although I suppose I could have guessed, seeing as several recent DLC have been Steam-only.

    Personally, I don't really want steam and I would much rather just install the software I want, rather than having yet another thing running and potentially a security leak and no doubt gathering data from me. I doubt I'm alone in this.

    If I were you, I'd think hard about whether you want to lose customers who don't see the need for Steam in order to install and play games. I'm not saying I would stop getting your stuff, but if I'm forced to install Steam it will leave a sour taste, that's for sure.

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    1. It was right there in their blog post that the DLC will be only available through steam

      Santa always makes sure that everyone gets the gifts they deserve, and indeed, there is something special waiting for everyone who contributes his or her due to the effort to transport all the gift packages in our Polar Express 2014 Event. Succeed and you will be rewarded with a special Raven Truck Design DLC. This original tuning set cannot be purchased, the only way to obtain is to earn a Steam key for it during this limited-time event.

      the only way to obtain is to earn a Steam key for it during this limited-time event.

      http://blog.scssoft.com/2014/12/scs-polar-express-holiday-event.html

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    2. If they were ever to choose a single distribution type... it will be Steam.

      The only method to distribute smaller DLC and achievements are through Steam. To build your own application and have to host it for the few who don't use Steam is not a cost effective option for a small indie developer.

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  50. Dear developers "American Truck Simulator"
    Much to ask - do more on hidden roads ( bypass ) is many times decorate game. I hope you understand what I mean!

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  51. the trailers don't look long enough. Everything else looks amazing!

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  52. Stop making pointless features. Make core gameplay and graphics better and don't forget Multiplayer / Lan

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    Replies
    1. This is a part of core gameplay, it is a major part of trucking in the US.

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  53. Hello.
    ETS2 love game.
    ETS2 trailer such in
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNMiM2go-sE
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U04yGp7biQs
    I'm glad when it comes to carry an ultra-heavy and Superlong the cargo.

    Assimilated into as my wish come true.
    Best regards.

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  54. it seems that not Scandinavia not American track simulator will never be released!why do only so much time soul poisoned?

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  55. very interesting?how much year we wait the new Mercedes Actros?in ETS-2

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  56. When will the scandinavia be ready I really waiting for that and especially American truck simulator california

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  58. I hope 53ft trailers will be the standard and also the ability to slide tandems must be implemented otherwise there's no point in having scales.

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  59. I hope that Salinas Ca is in the map being that there so much trucking in that town the salad bowl of the world and my home town :)

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  60. Can I get American Truck in India if yes then contact me on http://guruofmovie.com

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  61. I love what I see so far for ATS I can't wait for it to come out. if scs software reads this they should have the trucks show real damage like GTA5 they should add seasons and weather that related to that area like iowa and other states has snow during the winter while the other places are always warm and snow free. and have plow trucks keeping the ice and snowy roads clean. and have a real avatar that you can customize and if you drive by one of your employees they could honk as they pass by and if your truck stops working instead of a black screen and time speeds up when you call for help you detach the trailer a big rig tow truck shows up to take your truck to the nearest town a temporary truck is brought to you at the same time so you can finish your delivery than get your truck and you should be able to get out of the truck to explore the area around you. like park your truck at the garage and walk into the garage and go to your office to check on your employees buy c.b. radio and map tracker can track the status of your business progress. and walk into stores and gas stations or a snack and drink vending machine at a truck stop and by food visit the restroom. after you drop off your cargo you should take the unloaded one back to its original destination. to be loaded back up.

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